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Kurt Coleman

FA Notes: DeCoud, Reynolds, Coffman, Packers

April 3rd, 2014 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of notable safeties have come off the board today, with Patrick Chung heading back to New England, and Danieal Manning putting the finishing touches on a deal with Cincinnati. Like those players, Thomas DeCoud didn’t have an expiring contract, but found himself on the open market last month when his team decided to release him. And it appears a potential suitor has emerged for DeCoud as well. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the former Falcon is visiting the division-rival Panthers on Monday.

While we wait to see if DeCoud ends up reaching a deal in Carolina, let’s check out a few more free agency items:

  • Rapoport passes along a little more free agent safety news, tweeting that Kurt Coleman, who met with the Jets earlier this week, is visiting the Colts tomorrow.
  • Before the Titans signed Eric Olsen for offensive line depth, the team engaged in contract talks with free agent guard Garrett Reynolds, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter). However, the two sides couldn’t work out an agreement.
  • Chase Coffman was already an unrestricted free agent, but now it looks like a lock that he won’t be returning to his old team. The Falcons have informed the tight end that they won’t be offering him a contract, Coffman tweeted this morning.
  • The Packers are the only team that hasn’t signed an unrestricted free agent from the 2014 class, writes Weston Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. While the team did bring players like Julius Peppers and Letroy Guion aboard, those players were released by other clubs, rather than having their contracts expire. As Hodkiewicz notes, the team’s offseason reflects GM Ted Thompson‘s philosophy, which places more value on the compensatory picks acquired by losing free agents than on signing free agents themselves.

FA Visits: Heyward-Bey, Wright, Ayers, Coleman

April 1st, 2014 at 5:14pm CST by Luke Adams

We heard this afternoon that veteran cornerback Champ Bailey is in New Orleans to meet with the Saints, but Bailey’s trip to Louisiana isn’t the only free agent visit that has been reported today. Let’s round up a few more….

  • Former top-10 pick Darrius Heyward-Bey is scheduled to visit the Steelers on Wednesday, tweets Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The former Raider grabbed 29 balls last season for the Colts.
  • Free agent safety Major Wright will meet with his old head coach Lovie Smith as he visits the Buccaneers today and tomorrow, says Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Wright himself tweeted that he’s looking forward to seeing “familiar old faces in Tampa,” while Rapoport adds that the Bucs will look to sign the 25-year-old before he leaves town.
  • Howard Balzer of The SportsXchange passes along word of a pair of New York free agent visits, tweeting that the Giants hosted defensive end Robert Ayers and safety Kurt Coleman met with the Jets. Ayers was linked to the Giants earlier in the offseason.

Eagles Rumors: Ryans, Mathis, Brown, FAs

February 25th, 2014 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

DeMeco Ryans finished the 2013 season as the 54th-ranked inside linebacker of the 55 that qualified, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). But despite the subpar grades from PFF and a $6.9MM cap number in 2014, the Eagles linebacker isn’t going anywhere, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Even asking Ryans to take a pay cut is unlikely, according to McLane, who says that the veteran commands more respect than virtually any other player in the locker room, and that “forcing” him to accept a reduced salary wouldn’t go over well with his teammates.

McLane also provided several other Eagles-related tidbits from the combine in Indianapolis, so let’s round them up….

  • All-Pro guard Evan Mathis figures to barely crack the top 15 highest-paid guards in the NFL next season, but don’t expect Philadelphia to increase his salary, says McLane, adding that a holdout from Mathis isn’t likely either.
  • Head coach Chip Kelly may prefer running back Chris Polk to Bryce Brown as LeSean McCoy‘s primary backup. That makes Brown a trade candidate this offseason, and there’s a “healthy market” for him, according to McLane. However, reaching a deal won’t be easy, due to the increasing salary cap.
  • According to McLane, several agents asked him at the combine if there was any chance of cornerback Brandon Boykin and linebacker Mychal Kendricks leaving their current reps. In other words, both players, who will enter their third seasons in 2014, are viewed as hot commodities. Boykin and Kendricks will be eligible for contract extensions after the ’14 season.
  • McLane can’t see the Eagles going into the 2014 season with Matt Barkley as the primary backup behind starting quarterback Nick Foles. Multiple scouts at the combine told McLane that they’ve seen enough to declare the former fourth-round pick a backup at best.
  • Cornerback Cary Williams is expected to remain on Philadelphia’s roster beyond the fifth day of the new league year, which would ensure that his $4.75MM base salary for 2014 becomes guaranteed.
  • “All signs” point to punter Donnie Jones re-signing with the Eagles, though other free agents like safety Kurt Coleman, defensive end Clifton Geathers, and linebacker Phillip Hunt look like good bets to hit the open market.